Cam making machine



Jan. 10, 1939.

C. A. BICKEL CAM MAKING MACHINE 3 sheets-sheet 1 Filed Sept. 50, 1936 A TTORNE Y8 Jan. 10, 1939. c. A. BICKEL CAM MAKING MACHINE Filed Sept. 50, 1936 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 IN VENTOR C1. IFFORD ,4 B lcAEL ATTORNEYS c. A. BICKEL 2,143,258

CAM MAKING MACHINE Filed Sept. 30, 1936 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Jan. 10, 1939.

I ATTORNEY-5 Patented Jan. 10, 1939 UNITED STATES CAM MAKING MACHINE Clifford A. Bickel, Sidney, omo, assignor to The l Monarch-Machine Tool Company, Sidney, Ohio,

a corporation of Ohio Application September 30, 1936, Serial No. 103,406

7 Claimm;

This invention relates to machine tools, and in particular, to machinery for making cams, patterns or templates with the aid of a pattern or template used as a standard.

One object of this invention is to provide a cam-making machine for machining cams, templates or profile devices from a standard pattern, cam or template.

Another object is to provide a machine for 19 machining cams, patterns or templates which are developed into 360 degrees or a complete revolution from a portion of a standard pattern, this portion being but a fractional part of a revolution.

Another object is to provide a cam-making machine wherein the cam being machined is revolved at a diflerent speed from the standard pattern or cam being followed so that a portion only of the standard cam or pattern is developed into a complete revolution of the cam being machined, the speed ratios of the standard pattern and the cam being machined being suitably adjusted for this purpose.

Another object is to provide such a machine as an attachment for mounting upon a standard engine lathe so that such an engine lathe may be adapted to produce cams from standard patterns, templates or profile devices.

In the drawings:

Figure l is a top plan view of the cam-making machine of this invention, with portions thereof broken away to disclosethe driving connections and structure more clearly.

Figure 2 is a rear elevation of the machine Mt shown in Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a vertical cross section taken along the line 3--3 of Figure 2.

Figure 4 is a view of a standard cam, pattern or profile device from which the cam is to be machined.

Figure 5 is a view of the completed cam produced from the cam pattern or template of Figure 4 by the aid of the present invention.

In general, the cam-making machine of this 4.5 invention consists of a pair of shafts which are interconnected by change speed gearing so as to be capable of relative rotation at different pre determined speeds. A standard pattern, cam or profile device is mounted upon one shaft, and the blank from. which the desired cam is to be made is mounted upon the other shaft. A slide is provided for reciprocatory movement transversely to the axes of the two shafts, this slide being mounted upon ball hearings in grooved guideways. Upon one end of this slide is mount- (Cl. Sill-13.7)

ed a pattern follower, whereas upon the other 7 end is mounted a cutting tool with a suitable driving arrangement. According1y.. when both shafts are revolved and the pattern follower is urged into engagement with the standard pat- 5 tern, this motion is transmitted to the slide, which reciprocates in response to the configuration of the pattern. This reciprocation is transmitted to the cutting tool, which reproduces a profile upon the cam blank. This profile will 10 be related to but not identical with the configuration of the standard pattern when the two shafts are rotated at difierent speeds so that a fractional portion only of a revolution of the standard pattern will be developed into a complete revolution of the cam being machined. The

' cams thus machined are suitable for use with having pedestals I0 and II with a pan l2 extending between them and a bed [3 supported by these pedestals. The bed i3 is provided with ribbed ways l4, upon which are mounted a main head stock I5 and its cover plate It. The pedestal ll contains a suitable motor (not shown) for operating mechanism within the main head stock l5, by which rotation is imparted to the main spindle (1. This head stock mechanism in itself forms no part of the present invention, and may be of any suitable type employed in standard engine lathes for varying the speeds of the main spindle. Hand levers l8 and I9 are provided upon a shaft 2'0 for controlling the various speed settings of the mechanism within the main head stock l5. Mounted upon the main spindle I1 is a spindle head' 2| having a plate 22 secured thereto. Upon the plate 22 is mounted a gear 23 by which the mechanism of the cam-making machine is driven from the. main spindle l1.

Mounted upon the bed 13 of the machine is a sub-head stock 24 (Figure 1) having an extension or boss 25. Within this boss and the portion of 46 the sub-head stocks adjacent thereto is rotatably supported a shaft 26 with the aid of the anti-friction bearings 21. Upon one end of this shaft is mounted a gear 28 meshing with the gear 23 upon the main spindle head plate 22. 60 Upon the other end of theashaft 26 is mounted a bevel pinion 29 adapted to *mesh with and drive a bevel gear 30 upon the worm shaft 3|. The worm shaft 3| is mounted, in a vertical position, in anti-friction bearings (not shown) and carries a worm 32 meshing with and driving a worm gear 33 secured to the work spindle 34, as by the set screw 35 on the hub thereof. The work spindle 34 is rotatably supported in anti-friction bearings 36 mounted in. the sub-head stock 24, .nd carries at one end a chuck 31 adapted to receive and hold the cam blank 38 which is to be machined into the desired cam. The chuck 31 is secured to the work spindle head 39 by the bolts 48. It will be understood, however, that the chuck 31 'is merely shown as one form of holding the cam blank 38, it being obvious that the cam blank 38 may be held in other suitable manners, such as by being bolted to a face plate, or held magnetically.

Secured to the opposite end of the work spindle 34 from the chuck 31 is a gear 4| which drives, through a gear train, a gear 42 mounted for relative longitudinal motion upon the splined auxiliary drive shaft 43. The gear 42 is mounted upon a sleeve 44 passing through the journal portion 45, the latter being located at the end of an arm 46 extending outwardly from the sub-head stock 24 (Figure 1). A collar 41 retains the gear 42 and the sleeve 44 in position within the journal portion 45. The gear train by which the gear 42 is driven from the gear 4| consists of the double gear 48 mounted upon the stud 49, and having gear portions 58 and 5|. The gear portion 58 meshes with'iihe gear 4|, whereas the gear portion 5| meshes with the gear portion 52 of the double gear 53, mounted upon the stud 54. The double gear 53 also has a gear portion 55 meshing with the gear 56 upon the stud 51. The gear 56, in turn, meshes with and drives the gear 42 upon the auxiliary head stock drive shaft 43. The gear train, consisting of the double gears 48 and 53 and the single gear 56, comprises a change speed gearing assembly mounted upon a quadrant 58. The quadrant 58 terminates in a sleeve-like portion 59 surrounding the sleeve 44, and similarly held in position by the collar 68.

The gear train arranged between the gears 4| and 42 on the quadrant 58 is composed of gears which may be interchanged in such a manner as to enable the relative speeds between the spindles 34 and 43 to be varied and adjusted to any desired ratio. Ordinarily, these gears will be so chosen that the shaft 43 will revolve a predetermined number of revolutions for every revolution of the work spindle 34. For example, in developing the cam shown in Figure 5 from a pattern of square cross section,as shown in Figure 4, the change speed gears on the quadrant 56 will be so chosen as'to rotate the work spindle 34 four times for every revolution of the auxiliary spindle because one quarter of the standard pattern is developed into a full revolution of the cam made therefrom.

Secured to the lathe bed I3, as by the bolts 6|, is the two-armed angle bracket 62 having a horizontal portion 63 provided with a dove-tail ridge 64. Cooperating with this ridge is a dove-tail groove 65 in a sliding suport 66 (Figure 3). The sliding support 66 is provided with a nut 61 (Figure 2), which engages the threads of a screw shaft 68 which is journaled near its outer end, as at 69, in the bracket portion 63. Secured to the outer end of the screw shaft 68 is a micrometer dial 18 and a hand wheel 1 I. By rotating the hand wheel the sliding support 66 may be moved longitudinally through the engagement of its nut 61 with the screw shaft 68, the amount of motion being determinable from the micrometer dial 18. The sliding support 66 is provided with T-grooves 12, which serve adjustably to receive the T-bolts 13,

securing thereto the auxiliary head stock 14. Journaled within the auxiliary head stock 14, as by the anti-friction bearings (Figure l), is the auxiliary head stock spindle 16. The auxiliary head stock spindle 16 and the auxiliary drive shaft 43 are provided with coupling flanges 11 and 18, respectively, these being united by the bolts 19. Mounted on the opposite end of the auxiliary head stock spindle 16 from the coupling flange 11 is the auxiliary spindle head 88, to which is secured the pattern support 8|, as by the bolts 82. Mounted upon the pattern support 8| is the standard pattern 83, this being arranged upon the threaded stud 84 and secured in position by the nut 85 (Figure 1). The standard pattern or template 83 is shown in Figure 3 as consisting of a roughly square object with curved instead of fiat sides. It will be understood, however, that this pattern 83 may be of any desired contour, depending upon the nature of the work-piece which it is desired to turn as a result of the cam to be produced by the machine of the present invention.

In Figure 4 the pattern or template 83 is shown as consisting of a square plate having flat sides 86, a quarter portion 81 of which is developed to form the cam 88 shown in Figure 4 as produced from the cam blank 38. The cam 88 is thus an internal cam, whereas the template or pattern 83 serves as an external cam. The pattern 83, in the particuiar case of a machine for turning work-pieces of square cross section, is formed to represent a typical cross section of such a work-piece. The internal cam surface 89 of the finished cam 88 thus represents a quarter portion of the template or pattern 83 developed into 368 degrees or a complete revolution. Also mounted upon the sliding support 66 and secured by the T-bolts 98 to the T-slots 12 thereof, is the tail stock 9|. This tail stock is used when it is desired to employ templates or patterns supported between centers. In the set-up shown in Figure 1, where the cam pattern 83 is secured to the pattern support 8|, the tail stock 9| is temporarily out of use. The tail stock 9| is provided with a spindle 92 having a so-called dead center 93. The spindle 92 is movable in and out as well as clamped by the handle 94 secured to the end of the shaft 95 (Figure 1).

Mounted for reciprocation longitudinally along the guideways I4 of the lathe bed I3 is the carriage 96. This carriage is provided with, a cross feed screw 91 (Figure 3) journaled as at 98, in .the carriage 96 and having a micrometer dial 98 and a hand wheel 99 on the outer end thereof. The cross feed screw 91 and the carriage 96 may be those of a standard engine lathe, in which event the cross feed screw 91 is, of course, adapted to be power-driven by the usual mechanism provided for that purpose. For the sake of clearness and simplicity, however, this driving mechanism is not shown in Figure 3, because it is not employed in the present machine. The cross feed screw 91 in the present machine is rotated manually by means of the hand wheel 99, the amount of linear motion imparted to the nut I88 thereon being indicated by the micrometer dial 98. The nut I88 is secured, as by the screws I8I (Figure 3), to the transverse slide I82. The latter is provided with a dove-tail groove I83 cooperating with a dovetail ridge I84 to provide guidance for the transverse slide I82 as it is moved to and fro by the action of the hand wheel 99 and the cross feed screw 91.

The transverse slide I82 is provided with members I85 of hardened steel having grooves I86 adapted to receive the bearing balls I01, the opposite portions of which engage grooves I08 in the cam cutter slide I08. A spring IIII (Figure -3) is provided to urge the cam cutter slide I08 rearwardly, and an adjustment is provided by the adjusting screw I I I mounted in the threaded hole H2 in the transverse slide I02. By rotating the adjusting screw III the force exerted by the spring IIO may be varied, as desired. The cam cutter slide I09 is provided with T-slots II3 extending lengthwise thereof. -Mounted upon the cam cutter slide I08 and secured to these slots by means of the T-bolts H4, is the swivel II5 to which the swivel housing II 8 is secured, as by the bolts III. Mounted in anti-friction bearings II8 on the swivel housing H8 is the cam follower.

sleeve H9, holding the follower shaft I20 which terminates in the follower I2I. The follower I2I engages the pattern ortemplate 83 and is urged thereagainst by the action of the spring I I0. The follower shaft I20 is secured to the sleeve II8 by means of the set screw I22 on the end thereof (Figure 1).

Mounted on the forward end of the cam cutter slide I09 and secured in the transverse T-slots I23 thereof is the cam cutter swivel I24, the position being varied by tightening or loosening the T-bolts I25 (Figure 3). The cam cutter swivel I24 is'provided with a dove-tail ridge portion I25 which cooperates with the cutting motor slide IZI, having a corresponding dove-tail groove' I28. A screw shaft I29 engages a nut (not shown) on the cutting motor slide I21 and is actuated manually by the hand wheel I30 (Figure 1) to move the slide Hi to and fro, the amount of motion being indicated by the micrometer dial I3l. The cutting motor slide I21 serves to support the cutting motor I32, which is secured thereto by the bolts I33. The cutting motor I32 is provided with a motor shaft I34, upon the end of which is mounted a cutter I35. The cutter I35 may be of any suitable type, a milling cutter being found useful in many instances.

Operation In the operation of the machine of the present invention, the standard pattern 83 is first made in any suitable manner, such as manually. This pattern 83 is so chosen as to reproduce a typical cross section of the work-piece which is subsequently to be turned upon a lathe for turning irregular work-pieces, such as that shown in the copending application of Bickel et al., Ser. No. 97,959, filed August 26, 1936. This pattern 83 is then mounted upon the pattern support 8|, in the manner previously described, and the gears of the gear train on the quadrant 58 so chosen as to provide the necessary multiple number of revolutions of the shaft 43 with respect to the work spindle 34. In the example shown in Figures 4 and 5, where a cam is to be made developing a quarter portion of a work-piece of square cross section, the gear is so chosen as to cause the work spindle 34 to rotate four times to every revolution of the auxiliary spindle 18. The cam blank 38 (Figure 1) is then mounted in the chuck 3'! and the auxiliary head stock I4 suitably positioned by turning the hand wheel II. The follower I2! is then brought into engagement with the periphery of the standard pattern 83, and the cutter I35 adjusted to occupy the proper position with respect to the cam blank 38 by turning either the hand wheel I30 or the hand wheel 99.

The main driving motor of the machine is then started in operation to rotate the main spindle I1, and the cutting motor I32 is started. The

standard pattern 83 then rotates about the axis of the auxiliary spindle I8, causing the follower I2I and hence the cam cutter slide I09 to reciprocate in conformity with the peripheral contour. This motion is transmitted to the cutter I35, which proceeds to cut a surface of related profile upon the internal portion of the cam blank 38. This surface will not ordinarily correspond to the periphery of the standard pattern 83, as shown by a comparison of Figures 4 and 5, because of the difference in the speeds of rotation of the work spindle 34 and auxiliary head stock spindle I3. In this manner the cutter I35 is caused evenly to produce the cam 88 with the internal cam surface 88 from the cam blank 38. The cam surface 88 is therefore a development in a complete revolution of the' partial revolution 8'! of the standard pattern 83.

As shown in the embodiment disclosed in the present drawings, the machine of this invention is illustrated as an attachment which may be made to a standard engine lathe. In this manner a standard engine lathe may be converted into a machine for machining such cams. It will be understood, however, that the work spindle shaft 34 may be driven at the proper speed, and

the assembly shown in Figure 1 arranged as a separate machine rather than as an attachment for a standard engine lathe. The showing of the attachment has been made merely for convenience, but the machine itself is independent of the necessity for attachment to or use with an engine lathe.

It will be understood that I desire to comprehend within this invention such modifications as come within the scope of the claims and the invention.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is:

1. In a cam-making machine, means for rotatably supporting a work-piece and a pattern, means for rotating said workpiece and said pattern in synchronism, an external follower for engaging and following the exterior of said pattern, an internal cutter for engaging and for cutting the interior-of said work-piece to the same configuration as the exterior of said pattern, a transverse freely movable slide for supporting and interconnecting said follower and said cutter for moving said cutter in response to the configuration of said pattern, said cutter having its axis arranged parallel with the axis of said follower whereby the thrust of the rotating pattern upon the follower will cause the cutter to engage the workpiece on the interior thereof, and means for rotating said cutter.

2. In a cam-making machine, means for rotatably supporting a work-piece and a pattern, means for rotating said workpiece and said pattern in synchronism, an external follower for engaging and following the exterior of said pattern, an internal cutter forengaging and cutting the interior of said work-piece to the same configuration as the exterior of said pattern, a transverse freely movable slide having said follower and said cutter rigidly mounted thereon, said external follower being arranged not only to move said cutter in response to the configuration of said pattern but also to hold said cutter in cutting engagement with the interior of the workpiece, and means for rotating said cutter.

3. In a cam-making machine, a work-piecesupporting element, a pattern-supporting elesupporting element, a follower for engaging said pattern, a rotatable cutter for engaging said work-piece, means for rotating said cutter, a slide for supporting and interconnecting said follower and said cutter, a carrier for supporting said slide for reciprocation relatively thereto, means for rotating said work-piece-supporting element, and change speed devices operatively interconnecting said rotating means and said pattern-supporting element for rotating said pattern at a different speed relatively to said work-piece.

4. In a cam-making machine, a work-piecesupporting element, a pattern-supporting element, a pattern associated with said patternsupporting element, a follower for engaging said pattern, a rotatable cutter for engaging said work-piece, means for rotating said cutter, a slide for supporting and interconnecting said follower and said cutter, a carrier for supporting said slide for reciprocation relatively thereto, means for rotating one of said elements, and change speed devices operatively interconnecting said rotating means and said other element for rotating said other element at a diiferent relative speed.

5. In a cam-making machine, a work-piecesupporting element, a pattern-supporting element, a pattern associated with said patternsupporting element, a follower for engaging said pattern, a rotatable cutter for engaging said work-piece, means for rotating said cutter, a slide for supporting and interconnecting said follower and said cutter, means for rotating one of said elements, change speed devices operatively interconnecting said rotating means and said other element for rotating said other element at a different relative speed, a carrier for ment, a pattern associated with said patternsupporting said slide for motion relatively thereto, and anti-friction bearing elements arranged between said slide and said carrier.

6. In a cam-making machine, a work-piecesupporting element, a pattern-supporting element, a pattern associated with said patternsupporting element, a follower for engaging said pattern, a rotatable cutter for engaging said work-piece, means for rotating said cutter, a slide for supporting and interconnecting said follower and said cutter, a carrier for supporting said slide for reciprocation relatively thereto, means for rotating one of said elements. change speed devices operatively interconnecting said rotating means and said other element for rotating said other element at a diiferent relative speed, guideways arranged between said slide and said carrier, and anti-friction ball bearings arranged to move in said guideways while engaging and spacing said slide and said carrier.

7. In a cam-making machine, a work-piecesupporting element, a pattem-supporting element, a pattern associated with said patternsupporting element, a follower for engaging said pattern, a rotatable cutter for engaging said work-piece, means for rotating said cutter, a slide for supporting and interconnecting said follower and said cutter, a carrier for supporting said slide for reciprocation relatively thereto,

means for rotating said work-piece-supporting element, change speed devices operatively inter connecting said rotating means and said pattern-supporting element for rotating said pattern at a different speed relatively to said workpiece, and means for adJustably varying the relative positions of said cutter and said follower on said slide.

CLIFEORD A. BICKEL. 

